Tina-Marie Beznec Shares Shaving Selfies to Raise Awareness for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

You never know what someone is going through behind closed doors. That’s the message Tina-Marie Beznec, an Australian woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), wants to share. The 26-year-old posted a photo of herself shaving on Facebook to highlight some of the symptoms women with PCOS may experience.

“As well as depression, anxiety, infertility, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, bloating, abdominal pains, acne, cysts, increased risk of cancer and everything else, a lot of woman including myself have to deal with facial hair,” Beznec shared on Facebook. 

“Do you know how UNFEMININE this can make a woman feel?!? I’ve always been super self conscious about it, but really just have to put this out there because I want create more awareness around this syndrome and how much it can impact someone’s life especially if they don’t know they have it.”

Hundreds of women have commented on Beznec’s post thanking her for her honesty. “Thank you for sharing Tina. I’m in the same shoes as you. Have grown to tolerate my facial hair but it’s still embarrassing sometimes when you’ve missed a few plucks and realise someone is staring,” one commenter wrote.

As many as 5 million women in the U.S. live with PCOS. Doctors aren’t sure what causes the condition, but its symptoms – acne, obesity, depression, facial hair, hair loss, infertility and pelvic pain – can greatly affect a woman’s quality of life.

“You never know what a person is going through and it’s unfair to put someone into the ‘lazy and unhealthy’ category without knowing their story,” Beznec wrote. “I know it’s only natural for some of us to judge someone based on how they look but remember we are all fighting our own battles and you can never understand if you aren’t willing to learn and listen.”

In conclusion, “When you see someone who is overweight, has bald patches, or a woman who has facial hair DO NOT JUDGE.”

You can read Beznec’s full post below.